The Ice kings prison
by moonbird
Summary: After the events of "Betty." Marcaline contemplates what happened and what she is going to do now, she got to meet Simon ones again, only to loose him right after their reunion. But what does all of this mean? Is Simon lost forever, or will there maybe one day be a way?
1. Chapter 1

"Marceline.. are you sure you are okay?"

It was almost weird, how careful Finn was in his question, almost as if he was afraid Marceline was going to flip out and bite his head of if he wasn't careful.

Slowly Marceline nodded. "Yeah." she told. "I.. I got to see him again, that's way more than I could have ever hoped." she told quietly.

She was of course, talking about Simon, had it really been just that? A few hours ago since she had gotten that phone-call.

_"Hey Marcy it's me, Simon. I'm back but it seems like my body is docking out on me." _

That voice, those words, they had gone straight to Marcelines stomach, all blood had left her head and she had fallen to the floor, head first.

Naturally both Finn and Jake had freaked out and started to yell, Marceline had just felt that empty black hole inside of her, she barely knew what to think, tears were pressing through her closed eyes as she still laid there, on the floor, that voice.. It had sounded so much like him, the sentence, it had been so coherent.

But was it just a dream? How could it be real, how.. Marceline didn't know, all she knew was if there was the tiniest little chance that she for once, could actually help Simon in some way, she at least had to check it out.

That was the hardest thing about seeing the Ice king standing in front of her over the years, being unable to help.

If there had just been one single thing she could have done, some clear instructions of what to do, to make things get better.

Marceline would have done it! No matter what it was, but thus far, there had been nothing, nothing but for her to just sit and watch the Ice king, trapped inside of his own madness.

Sit and watch for hundreds of years, nearly a thousand years, and nothing would change, if any-thing, Simon would just slip that much further away day by day, that was the cruel faith of their long relationship. It was to hard to bear by the end, that is why Marceline had finally left. Just to try and get the resemblence of a life that was her own.

But there he was, Simon, not the way that Marceline remembered him, but the way he had been in those old photos in his scrap book.

He wasn't even slipping, he was right there in front of her, his eyes lightening up in recognition by the sight of her, his rushing steps towards her before he embraced her, and not that awkward kind of embrace Marceline was so used to from him, where neither really knew what to do or how to react.

A Genuine, warm, tight embrace, that of a long lost friend wanting to assure Marceline how good it all was. Or just to be assured himself, that she was for real to, that she really was there. They were together again!

But then he fell together in Marcelines grasp, he was so weak, and coughing to.

"Simon, you're dying!" Marceline exclaimed horriefied.

And then the look, the small smile and warm glimpse in his eye that Simon offered her, it told his entire story, he knew that, but he was fine with it, it was a blessing to him. The existence he had had, was eternal hell, immortality but for the price of sanity, to die, to be at peace, Simon was so ready for it, it seemed. To him it wasn't even sad, it was good.

"I'm sorry hon." Simon then whispered. "It's just how it is to be, humans don't usually life for a thousand years you know." He commented giving her cheek a little playful pinch. "I got to see you again, that makes me happy, and you are even letting me see Betty one last time, if I can do that. I will have no regrets left, none at all." He told. "I've been sad for so long, and now I'm not, so don't be sad for me either, please." He asked holding her hands. "I don't want to continue being the reason you are so sad, you should be happy."

"I know." Marceline sniffed. "I just wish you wouldn't have to go so quick, you just got here!"

"Sorry." Simon whispered, sounding some-where between bemused and a little bit regretful, just a little.

Soon Marceline gave Simon Hambo. Simon was absolutely, the only person in the entire univers, that Marceline would just give her beloved toy to like that, without any question, though as it seemed, ones Simon had it in his hands he realised that to, as he held it looking at it as he swallowed. "You really, really kept it.." he whispered. "For all of this time.. And showered it with so much love."

"Yeah." Marceline nodded.

"Urhm, you do know that.. you wont get him back?" Simon asked in a rather nervous voice. "Is.. is that fine with you?" he asked. "I mean, I'll be dead within the day any-way, Hambo is yours."

"It's fine." Marceline told in a smile. "I want you to have him, I want to help you, just ones. You helped me so much and I have never been.. Please take him and see Betty again." She asked. "Please." She asked.

Slowly Simon took back the teddy-bear, and cradled it, almost like he was the child whom was holding his own beloved toy. "Thank you." He whispered, obviously trying to keep back the lump in his throat. "I know how important this is to you, I just."

"You're the one that's important to me Simon." Marceline smiled. "Now hurry, say hallo to Betty!"

Simon smiled as well, obviously trying not to cry, touched by the blunt confession.

No one had quite anticipated that Betty would throw herself through the wormhole like that, Simon was horrified, obviously he had never ever anticipated that either, all he wanted was to see her again and possible say good-bye not… this.

The sheer horror had been obvious in his eyes, Betty was there and Simon had to leave now! Leave not only one girl, but two, all alone!

As Betty brought up the crown Simon stumbled back, the fright in his eyes suddenly risen by a hundred fold.

"No! I can't do it! I don't want to be the ice king any-more!" he cried. Yes, Simon much rather wanted to die, than being trapped inside of the ice kings prison again. You could see the confusion and anquish in his face, he didn't want to just leave Betty in this new strange world she couldn't know any-thing about, but neither did he want to be the ice king, he was ready for his peace, he didn't want as much as a second more in mad land! .. would he really rather want to die? It seemed like it, he was giving up!

And suddenly Marceline became selfish, yes, having to deal with the ice king every-day, knowing what he had ones been had been so hard, there had been times she had wished that he would have really died instead of that poor, not quite there not quite gone existence, it had been like eternal limbo but.. if there was a chance like Betty had just said.

Then.. Marceline wanted to explore it! If Simon died there wouldn't be a way to do even that any-more!

Betty had that exact same look in her eyes, and you could see, that was what made Simon give in, not because he wished to take that option, but because he couldn't deny Betty her wishes, even if it meant she were going to see what he had become… it was all for her. He would do any-thing for Betty. Even let her fight for him.

So typically Simon, he never had been able to resist a girl whom was pleading at him with her eyes. He was all about helping the people around him, no matter how ridicoules or miniscule the task. He would just do it, because he was Simon! That was how good it was.

It was so unfair, that out of all people in the entire world, he was the one, whom by pure chance had been inflicted by the curse of the crown, it had taken away his entire life.

His loved ones, his dreams, his sanity even his memories.

It was so unfair!

If any-one deserved to life a full life, surrounded by loved ones and happy memories, it was Simon!

And Marceline would be dammed if she wouldn't make sure that was exactly what he was going to get!

And they had to do it soon, now Betty was here, humans didn't life for that long like vampires, silently Marcelin swore, she would find a way, and find it soon, so Simon and Betty could be together, have their family and grow old together while loving each other!

Marceline wanted that to be her gift to him, no matter what it took!

"So, you're sure you're okay?" Finn asked as they had finally reached Marcelins gave.

"Uhu." Marcelin nodded, and then blinked as she realised she had to wipe away a tear.

"You know, you just met and lost your best friend all over again." Finn commented in a blink. "It's okay if you're upset."

"It's okay, I'm not really upset." Marceline sniffed. "I just need to be alone." She stated. Knowing full well, that when she said some-thing like that, she really would be left alone, Fin and Jake knew her well enough to not go against such a direct order.

"Okay man, what-ever you say." Finn told, though he still looked just a little hesitant.

"And if you ever need some-thing, you know where to call." Jake commented in a blink.

"Thanks guys." Marceline nodded in a small smile, before she leaped and floated up to her own house, ones inside though she hurried locking the door, and then ran to the living room where she sank up against the wall, and then slowly glided down to sitting position, holding her legs, trying to get a hold on all these emotions.

Simon was still alive inside of Ice king, that was good right? Even if he was all ready back at his old game of kidnapping princesses, the muscle princess having been the latest _"victim" _

Every-thing the Ice King did seemed to be in some way connected to Simon, while he still had his sanity, he had never stopped looking for Betty, just wanting to apologies to her and see her one last time.

And now when he didn't even know who Betty was, but there was some-thing he needed to do, he went for all princess's instead.

Marceline had ones, tried to move all around the place, all over the world, just to get away from the Ice King, but he would always find her sooner or later, suddenly standing on her door step without even knowing what he was doing there.

Never had he harmed her or as much as attempted to kidnap her, it was just like he had a need to figure out where Marcelin was, he was drawn to her without even knowing why.

But Marcelin knew why, it was because he was actually Simon, it was because he cared for her!

Right? … Right?

Some-times it was so hard to tell, Marcelin sniffed. Stupid tears why was she even crying?

It's not like any-thing had even changed, things were just like they had been the day before yesterday they.. suddenly the door bell rang.

Annoyed Marcelin lifted her head as she hissed. "_Finn!_ I told you I wanted to be alone!" she hissed.

Ones again the door bell rang, and Marcelin groaned. "URGH!" as she stood up and stomped towards the door. "FINN! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM…" she began as she opened the door wide, but stopped as she was faced with not Finn, but a very wide-eyed blue skinned, pointy nosed, white haired, Ice King.

Wide-eyed the two looked at each other, there was complete and utter silence.

Before suddenly the Ice King stretched out his arms, holding an object in his hands which his stretched towards Marcelin in as stretched arms as possible. "Here!" he exclaimed, not for a moment taking his wide eyes away from Marcelin.

Marcelin blinked, then looked at the object the snow king was holding in his two blue hands, and Marcelin blinked again, it was.. A teddy bear. It kind of looked like Hambo, but it obviously wasn't, this Teddy bear was brand new, it had regular black eyes instead of the buttons, and it was purple not pink. Marcelin blinked as she looked at it, then looked up at the Ice King. "Erh.." she hesitated. "You're.. giving me a teddy-bear?" she asked.

"I DON'T KNOW!" The Ice king exclaimed, holding up the teddy bear in the exact same way. "I couldn't sleep! If I give it to you I will be able to sleep again, I think..." He frowned deeply confused lowering the teddy bear. "Where was I?" he asked in a blink. "HERE!" he then exclaimed holding up the teddy bear again. "TAKE IT!"

Stunned Marceline looked at the ice king, then at the Teddy bear, then suddenly she sniffed, then a smile cracked through on her face. "Oh Simon." She sniffed, wiping away her tears. "You didn't have to replace Hambo at all, no need for you to loose sleep over it! I was okay with giving him to you, thank you." She then whispered finally taking the Teddy. "I like him a lot." She told looking at the teddy in her hands.

Confused the Ice King looked at Marceline. "Huh?" he asked.

Defeated Marcelin shook her head, but held the teddy bear close, it was not the fact that this was a replacement Teddy at all, it was the fact that some-how Simon had managed to think so far as to give it to her, some-thing inside of him had felt bad about taking Hambo and wanted to make it up to her, which was so typically Simon! that was the thing that meant the world, and at last Marceline couldn't help it but stepping forward and give the Ice King a warm hug as she cried.

The Ice King though, just stood stiff as a board deeply confused over this show-case of affection. "Erh.." he blinked. Then slowly reached his arms around Marcelin and returned the hug, padding her on the back, before Marcelin let go, smiling as she wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

"So how are you feeling Simon?" Marcelin asked.

"Si-who what now?" The Ice King asked in a blink.

"I'm sorry, Ice King, how are you feeling, you had a pretty rough day yesterday." Marcelin pointed out.

"As if I know any of that, I don't remember it." The Ice king pouted. "And apparently there was this chick who saved me, oh how I would have loved to thank her." He sighed deeply. "It's funny, when I think about her I get all funny inside, hihihihi!" he giggled loudly, holding his two hands against his cheeks. "And I don't even know what she looked like, isn't that weird?" he asked. "She's even gone kablooi, but I still get that funny feeling! I don't know what it is!" he exclaimed.

"Hope maybe?" Marcelin asked.

"huh?" The Ice king asked looking confused at Marcelin.

"Every-thing has seemed so bleak and meaningless for such a long time. Like, it's just an eternal dark tunnel with no end, no matter how far you walk." Marcelin then commented. "But now it seems like, things can get better, it can be turned around, there just might be a light by the end of that tunnel. And that feels good."

"WOAH! That' exactly it! How did you know?" The Ice king asked wondering.

"Call it a hunch." Marceline shrugged. "Hey you want to come inside, I should have some grape juice and pasta with tomato sauce."

"Oooh, can I?" The Ice King asked wide-eyed. "I WOULD LOVE TO!" he exclaimed all giddy like jumping up and down on the spot. "Hey! Maybe we can play a song together again! I really liked it when we did that! It was fun!"

"Sure." Marcelin smiled bemused stepping aside so the Ice King could get inside. "Jam session it is!"

"Hey do you know you're holding a teddy-bear?" The Ice king asked pointing at the Teddy bear he had just given to Marceline while he stepped in. "I didn't take you for the type at all!"

"Usually I am not into that kind of stuff no, but this one is very special to me." Marcelin told. "Because a very special friend gave it to me."

"Woah! I would sure like to meet that friend one day! He sounds swell!" The Ice king exclaimed, walking towards the living room. Then continued ranting. "Then maybe he'll be my friend to! I love having friends! That also makes me feel so funny inside my tummy! It tickles!"

"Yeah.. yeah he is rather swell." Marcelin smiled looking after the back of the Ice King. "If he weren't, there wouldn't be so many people looking out for him you dork! I'm so glad you are starting to realise, just how many people that loves you Simon."

"Hey are you coming or what?" The Ice kings voice sounded in the direction of the kitchen. "You promised me grape juice! I want my grape juice!"

And Marceline rolled her eyes. "Coming!" she yelled rushing towards the kitchen before the ice king levelled the entire place to the ground with his ice powers out of dumb frustration.

* * *

"Simon.." A tiny little seven year old Marceline whispered as she sat in the lap of an older man, whom had his arms wrapped around her, as he desperately tried to shield her from the cold icy wind, finding its way through the holes in the car wreckage where the two had tried to find shielder from the storm.

"Yes sweety." Simon responded.

"Aren't you cold to?" Marceline asked. "You hair is kind of wet."

"Don't worry about it, I haven't felt cold for a very long time." Simon told in a light smile. "Now that I think about it, I haven't even been ill or sick for years. I guess the crown is doing more than just keeping me alive, it's keeping me healthy to."

"I still hate it." Marceline pouted.

Simon exhaled. "I know sweet-heart I know, it scares me to." He admitted ruffling up her hair. "It scares me how dependent I am on it, but there you have it, beggers can't be chooser, and I wont let any-thing happen to you. I swear to it."

"But.. what if you slip away, as in.. what if you don't come back?" Marceline whispered.

"Well, hopefully we wont have to worry about that for a while yet." Simon smiled a little defeated. "All though.. Marcy, erhm.. if.. if that time comes, I erh." He swallowed. "I mean."

Wide-eyed Marceline looked up at the older man, with those adorable big questioning eyes no one could say no to, and yet they were also slightly desperate.

Simon sighed deeply. "When it happens, I want you to run." He told. "Run away from me, find yourself a better life, do what you must to stay alive so you can be happy one day."

"When? What do you mean when? You wont will you Simon?" Marceline asked. "You can't! You can't go like that!"

"Urgh, Marcy, it's to late for me all-ready, I'm a lost cause." Simon groaned rubbing his forehead with his slender hands. "I'm so grateful I found you! You've given me time, just a little more time before.. before." He swallowed deeply. "Being alone sure is the sure way to be driven insane that much faster." He whispered embracing Marceline, holding her tight. "I'm so sorry for what I am going to put you through, I want you to leave me when it comes to that, don't let your life be controlled by an insane old man okay? I know this is hard for you to understand, there is so much you've all-ready seen you shouldn't have in your age, and now this."

"it's okay Simon, you saved me." Marceline told. "One day, I would really like to save you. Wouldn't that be really cool?" she asked.

"But sweetie you all-ready did, don't you know that?" Simon asked a little bemused. "Every-day I get to spend as Simon, is all because of you! Isn't that some-thing?" he asked in a warm smile.

"I still want to safe you one day Simon, that would be so cool!" Marceline exclaimed.

* * *

And nearly a thousand years after, as an old vampire Marceline was sucking the red out of her grape juice, shared with the Ice king, whom was completely oblivious to her at that moment to fascinated with his straw. She silently swore inside of her mind and mentally crossed her heart.

I _will _save you Simon! You showed me it's possible, you are in there! The new teddy you gave me, it's proof! It's you! You are in there!

Just hold on a little bit longer Simon, just a little bit, you will get your happily ever after, I swear!

* * *

_AN; That's what friends are for, is a song written by Stevie Wonder. _


	2. Chapter 2

**_An; okay, people.. so here's the deal. After I wrote this fanfiction, and got more into adventure time and the Ice Kings story, I of course started to imagine all of the ways Simon could be turned back to his original self for good.. and different ideas popped into my head. _**

**_Problem just is, I can only come up with all these different scenes that wont really connect for me at all, and I don't know if can commit to write the whole fanfiction of it, also because I kind of got other stuff in the works I should focus on. _**

**_So well, taken kind of out of context, here's a passage I've been conquering up where Marceline, Finn and Jake goes into the Ice Kings mind to retrieve information and what comes out of it. _**

**_Any-one can feel free to use this for inspiration for their own Ice King stories, I just want more Ice King/Simon stories! _**

* * *

"So this is it?" Finn asked as both him, Jake and lastly Marceline was standing above the sleeping ice-king. "And sure he's out cold."

"Yeah man." Jake nodded. "I stuffed one of his own worn out socks up his nose, hell be out for hours at least!." He told very proudly.

Finn blinked. "The Ice King doesn't wear socks, he doesn't even wear shoes."

"Oh." Jake realised. "Well, I put some-ones sock up his nose and he is out cold."

Marceline rolled his eyes as she sighed. "So, I just spray this sand over all of us, and we'll got into his dreams right?" she asked, looking inside of the little bag of golden sand in her hands.

"Yeah man, lets just hope we can find the right memory." Finn nodded.

"Urgh, entering the Ice Kings mind, that sounds so sick." Jake shook lightly. "It gotta be all kinds of crazy in there!"

Marceline sighed deeply. "Well, hopefully it wont be to bad." She muttered. "I hope not." She then added to herself as she put down a hand into the sack, and pulled up a handful of golden sand before she threw it up in the air, and it gently fell down landing on all of them.

"Huh?" Marceline frowned. "Nothing much happened did it? I.. arrh." She yawned sleepily rubbing her eyes. "Hmm.. what?" she asked.

Jake as well yawned deeply. "Scuse me, I'm just gonna." He murmered laying down on the floor, closing his eyes.

"Gonna join you." Finn yawned deeply laying own, putting his head on Jake using Jake as a pillow.

"What whimps." Marceline yawned then looked at Simon, no the Ice King, whom laid in the bed, sleeping extremely deeply, the golden dust glistening slightly from his long white beard and on his face. "Well, here we go I guess." She yawned falling down on her knees, and rested her head on the Ice Kings bed.

* * *

It was.. Silent.. Dark.. And very cold.. the surface that Marceline laid on seemed, very harsh and very cold.

Marceline blinked, suddenly, she was standing up, she was wide awake and she was standing in.. some kind of a weird cave. Blinking Marceline looked around. "Finn?" she asked. "Jake?"

"Oh there you are!" Finns head poked out from a turn, followed by Jake beneath him.

"Phew." Jake smiled. "Thought we lost you all-ready."

Marceline blinked as she looked at them, then looked around herself. "Where on earth are we?" she asked, her breath becoming mist as she spoke.

"Well, we should be inside of the Ice Kings mind, in his dreams." Jake pointed out. "That was the point of it."

"But." Marceline blinked looking around. "We are in an ice-cave." She pointed out. "There's nothing but Ice all around us!"

"That is weird." Finn acknowledged. "I don't really understand." He blinked as he looked around. "Usually when we go into memories, we'll be standing in the middle of a situation or some-thing but.. there is no one here." Finn Observed. "Shouldn't the Ice king be around here or some-thing? How can it be his memory, if he isn't even here?"

Marceline blinked as she looked at all the walls around them, made out of pure glistening ice, tunnels, going in several different directions, and then into darkness, all sparkling and glistening, all made out of ice.. But Finn was right, except for those three, there were no other people, not even a lonely Ice King, it was all empty safe for the cold ice.

"HEY!" Jake exclaimed from where he stood by the cave wall. "Check this out!" he pointed at the ice wall right in front of him.

"Huh?" Marceline and Finn both hurried to Jakes side, Jake whom was pointing at the surface of the wall.

"Dude, its just more Ice." Finn pointed out.

"No man, look inside of it." Jake encouraged.

Marceline blinked and then did, she looked inside and then her eyes widened, it was the Ice King, playing his drum kit while Marceline was hovering playing her base, except.. It was like a frozen picture of the event, neither of them moved, just a picture.

Then Marceline looked down at her feet's, and saw the Ice king sitting in front of his princess cage talking to Slime Princess, ones again, a frozen none moving picture, looking to the other side, there was the another picture of the Ice King! Building an ice unicorn with his powers out in the snow.

"Oh my god." Finn blinked. "Are these.. His memories?" he asked looking all around himself as he walked in. "But, they are all frozen."

"Oh glob, I get it!" Marceline gasped holding a hand towards her mouth.

"What?" Jake asked.

"His memories! They are frozen solid!"

"We kind of had figured that." Finn muttered.

"What I mean is, that's why he never remembers any-thing!" Marceline exclaimed. "He didn't loose his memories, but they are frozen solid, as soon as he create new ones they almost instantly get frozen again! SIMON!" she exclaimed turning to a wall laying a hand on it. "You're still in here, thank god." she sniffed closing her eyes.

"Hmm, these must be his most recent memories though." Jake pointed out.

"Yeah man, he last called himself Simon what.. 900 years ago?" Finn questioned.

"You would have to walk an awful long way in there to even get to those memories." Jake pointed inside of the tunnel, towards the deep darkness.

Wide-eyed Marceline looked that way, looked at how far the tunnels went and how many turns there were just in her field of vision, and how dark it was down there, just an empty hollow sound of the wind going through those tunnels.. A giant labyrinth, made up of memories frozen to solid walls of ice, inside of the Ice kings mind, you could easily be lost for-ever in there.

"And if you even found the centre, how then, would you even begin to unfreeze them?" Finn asked.

Marceline swallowed as she looked through the tunnel. "But.. we have to move in there." She commented.

"SAY WHAAT?!" Finn exclaimed.

"Are you nuts?" Jake asked. "Look at that, it's a maze! If we go in there, we'll never find our way out again!" he exclaimed.

"We came here to find the Ice Kings memory of what-ever he found out right?" Marceline asked. "Obviously it isn't here, we _have _to further in."

"It's no problem man we done things like this before remember?" He asked Jake. "Just leave the tip of your tail behind so we can follow it back."

"Yeah, I would like to do that." Jake told. "But there's nothing here I can tie my tail to! I'll just follow us there!"

"Hmm." Marceline frowned. "Finn, you stay here and hold Jakes tail." She then demanded.

"That sounds boring." Finn muttered annoyed.

"DO IT!" Marceline exclaimed, her face for a moment turning into her demon self.

"Okay! Okay!" Finn exclaimed. Then bowed down and took Jakes tail. "There." He muttered standing up holding the tail.

"Okay, now stay there." Marceline ordered. "Don't move!"

"Fine." Finn muttered, then sat down on the ground, with crossed legs holding the tail. "Just hurrie man, nothing happens here!"

"Sure thing bro." Jake gave him a thumbs up. "Come on Marceline! Lets go!"

In no time at all, Finn was out of sight, Jake was just casually walking beside Marceline as his tail stretched out behind him.. it was pretty silent, dead quiet in fact as the two walked in what seemed to be endless and endless lines of tunnels, all the time there would be new turns, different passage ways to choose from, fork roads, and it just continued on for-ever.

"So erhm.." Jake swallowed. "The Ice Kings mind huh?"

"Yep." Marceline acknowledged without even looking down at Jake.

"Sure is a heck of a lot cleaner than I would have imagined." Jake commented.

"Uhu." Marceline nodded.

"I mean, I thought we would run into crazy town at least, but this is just.. nothing." Jake commented. "But perhaps that's not to surprising either, he doesn't seem to have to many bricks to move around with, if you get what I mean." He chuckled.

Marceline sighed deeply. "Well now at least it makes sense." She commented.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"Simon." Marceline told. "Not only was he really nice, but he was also smart as glob." She told. "He even had a brain parasite in his pocket, that little critter loved him."

"FOR REAL?" Jake asked.

"Uhu." Marceline nodded.

"Wow, he must have been a really smart dude." Jake commented. "So you're all-right about this?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Marceline asked.

"Oh you know, invading some-ones mind, that's kind of private. Who knows what we'll encounter. You're okay with just seeing your old friend like that?" Jake asked.

"Well." Marceline bit her lip as she swallowed. "I don't see how it can be much worse than what I have all-ready seen."

"Yeah I guess that's true." Jake finally admitted. "Man, how long are these tunnels, they are just going on for-ever." He commented tired.

"Yeah." Marceline nodded.

"Yo I was thinking of some-thing." Jake then commented.

"What?" Marceline asked.

"Well, we are not really in the physical world are we?" Jake asked. "We are inside the Ice Kings mind."

"Yeah, so?" Marceline asked.

"You think the tail trick will even work?" Jake asked. "I mean, we are just thoughts inside of some-ones mind, my tail isn't even real, nothing is. How do we even know it'll lead us back to Finn?"

Marceline stopped, stopped right up in her tracks and her eyes widened, the finally she looked down at where Jake was supposed to be, except, he wasn't even there. "Jake?" she asked, then looked around with wide open eyes. "JAKE!" she yelled. "Oh no." she swallowed. "Don't tell me I've been trapped in this labyrinth."

"_Oh pretty lady, so you figured out." _A voice sounded, echoing through the endless ice tunnels. _"I just needed you to go far enough in so you would get lost, now you are. Lost for-ever little Marceline, inside the Ice Kings prison!" _

"HEY YOU CAN'T DO THAT!" Marceline yelled. "I'll just wake myself up!"

_"You can't." _the voice sounded._ "You're to deep inside of the Ice Kings prison.. now I'll come and get you." _The voice told and behind Marceline a shadow was running past her, Marceline turned towards it, but only for the running shadow to be behind her back again. _"Another prisoner! ILL TAKE IT!" _

"GLOB!" Marceline shouted and then took a run for it.

_"Oh so you think you can run! Be my guest!" _the voice crackled. _"You're all-ready lost for-ever! There is no way out of this mind labyrinth!" _

"Oh yeah!" Marceline hissed. "We'll see about that!" she exclaimed turning a corner, only to stop as she had nearly fallen down into an endless dark pitt right in front of her. "OH GLOB!" she exclaimed waving her arms back and ford as she almost lost balance, finally she found balance again and swept her forehead with her hand. "Phew." She sighed.

And then the cruel voice laughed. _"HAHAHA! RUN LITTLE GIRL! RUN!" _

Marceline looked left and right, trying to figure a way to run to, as a little voice yelled. "MARCELINE!"

Wide-eyed Marceline looked in front of herself, at the other side of the pitt, where a pink teddy bear was standing waving at her. "Hambo?" Marceline questioned.

"Yes!" Hambo responded to her. "Marceline! You need to get to the centre of the labyrinth! That's where he is!"

Marceline blinked. "Who?" she aksed.

"There's no time!" Hambo exclaimed. "Follow me quick! Or he will get you and freeze you like all these memories, and you'll be trapped for-ever!"

"Who will freeze me?" Marceline asked.

"The Ice king!" Hambo told. "The true Ice King, he is also trapped in here, he hasn't yet managed to escape into the real world. Come on this way!" Hambo waved his arm.

Marceline blinked as she looked after Hambo. "HAMBO WAIT!" she yelled, then looked down at the pit, then looked behind her shoulder before she gathered courage and took a sprint, before she jumped over the pit, glided and tripped a good way in front of her, before she managed to run again. "HAMBO!" she yelled.

"This way!" Hambo waved in front of her and Marceline followed, left and right, then left again. Hambo always being so far in front, and the evil voice seeming to come closer and closer. "Hambo! Will you answer me some-thing?" Marceline asked.

"No time, hurrie!" Hambo exclaimed.

"That thing chasing me, he is the thing freezing up all of Simons memories, creating this labyrinth isn't he?" Marceline asked.

"Yes." Hambo told.

"But that thing, is the thing that isn't really Simon right?" Marceline asked. "It's what making this prison, and keeping Simon trapped. Right?" she asked. "It's what fell right into him the first time he put on the crown!"

"Yes, YES!" Hambo exclaimed. "This way!" he pointed.

"Then what are you?" Marceline asked Hambo. "You're not Simon either!"

"I am part of Simon." Hambo told. "I am his love for you, as long as I am free, he will never ever harm you."

Marceline's eyes widened. "Wow." She whispered. "Well then I am sure glad you haven't been frozen yet."

"It's been close, some-times." Hambo admitted. "But he never really succeeded, not as long as you were close enough out-side."

"Oh, there you are."

Marceline stopped, right in front of her, was a shadow.. a white shadow, kind of having the shape of the Ice king, with the pointy white crown on his head, the bushy hair and probably also beard, and just the hint of eyes, but he was just an out-line, a shadow.. a shadow of frost. "Urgh! Love has been protected you again has it, _Marceline." _He mocked.

"HEY!" Hambo exclaimed putting himself between Marceline and the white shadow. "Leave her alone! Don't touch her."

"Hmpf." The white shadow snorted. "Hambo, the love for a little girl, you know where you belong don't you?" he asked. "FROZEN WITH THE MEMORIES!" he yelled launching out his white shadow hands shooting beams at them.

Though suddenly a new figure jumped up, and placed herself in the light, cutting it the freezing ray itself with her yellow sword.

Marcelines eyes widened, in front of her was a little figurine, it looked so petite, kind of had the shape of princess Bubblegum, but this princess with a golden crown on her head was made of white porcelain, in spite of that though, she had just managed to slash through the Ice Kings attack.

"And who's that?" Marceline blinked wid-eyed, looking at the fine little Porcelain princess.

The Porcelain princess turned around, and revealed her cracked face, obviously broken in one of her many, countless battles, with the Ice king. "I am the princess, I am Simons love for Betty." She told.

"She's the only one whom has ever been able to stand up against the Ice King." Hambo whispered. "For some reason, he can't freeze her."

"For a thousand years I have kept the Ice King abbey here inside." The porcelain princess told raising her sword. "He is just as trapped as all of us, he can re-decorate and freeze the memories that would otherwise form this place, but he can't leave. Not yet."

"HOW SPITE FULL!" The Ice King hissed, yelling, wining. "KEPT PRISONER BY A PORCELAIN GIRL AND A TEDDY-BEAR! Why must I be given so lousy prison guards! One day I'll freeze you! I'll freeze you for eternity!"

Wide eyed Marceline looked at the angry shadow, kept back by the Porcelain princess's sword.

"What.. What'll happen if he ever escapes?" Marceline asked in a swallow.

"He'll freeze the entire world." Hambo told. "Like he has frozen Simons mind. Every-thing in your world would end, or at least, it wont be as it used to be."

"So you guys.. Simons love. Has kept this monster prisoner here to for all this time?" Marceline asked.

Hambo nodded. "Come hurrie! Porcealine Princess wont be able to hold him abbay for long. If he gets to you he'll freeze you. And you'll be trapped for-ever to!" he told running away. "We must get to the centre of the Labyrinth!"

"BUT WHY?!" Marceline shouted. "WHAT IS IT THAT'S IN THE CENTRE?!" she asked. "WHAT IS IS THAT'S SO IMPORTANT?! Huh?" Marceline stopped up, suddenly she wasn't in the icy caves any-more, she was… in the apocalypse? She recognised it, it was the remains after the Mushroom war.

But still, no one was there, only tons of empty destroyed houses, trash laying every-where, the sky was black and polluted. "Hallo?" Marceline called. "Hambo? Porcelain princess?" she asked. "HALLOOO!"

Her voice echoed through the buildings, through the empty street, it seemed endless, this eternal apocalypse, and this time.. this time Marceline really was, completely alone in the midst of it.

Shaking Marceline wrapped her arms around herself as she moved down the broken streets, it was made even more eerie by the fact that Marceline knew she most probably had a place very similar to this inside of her own mind, except there, Simon would be roaming about, happy and carefree to help her with a joking smile, he wasn't here though… no one was.

Then suddenly as Marceline took another step, she had stepped on some-thing soft… grass.. blinking Marceline looked down at her foot and saw the green grass she was stepping up, she looked up and the apokolypse was gone, instead she was… right back in Ooo?

It looked like Ooo, very near to Finn and Jakes tree-house in fact.. The Ice kingdom wasn't to far away from this place either. "Huh." Marceline blinked. "Well, this is nice.."

"HURRIE CAKE! HURRIE!" A girls voice shouted.

"I'm gonna get you!" another womans voice sounded, Marceline turned her head, and saw a blond girl, with a bunny hat on her head, racing with a cat that was stretching pretty much the same way that Jake always did.

"THERE SHE IS!" The girl grinned pointing at Marceline. "HALLOOOO! How are you?" the girl grinned as she stopped right in front of Marceline and the cat had to stop so quick that she stumbled, landing by the girls feet's.

Marceline blinked as she tried to take in the girls features.. clearly this was a tom-boy, she wore a sword in her green shoulder bag.. a shoulder bag just like Finns, her blouse were just like Finns as well and.

"Fionna?" Marceline asked.

"Oh, so you have heard about me?" Fionna asked. "That's great."

"Well, Simon.. that is the Ice King, he.. likes to tell stories about you." Marceline admitted.

"YAY!" Fionna exclaimed jumping up in the air. "You heard that Cake! We are famouse out-side!"

"Well I wouldn't exactly call it that." Marceline admitted scratching her cheeks. "So erh, you are?" she asked.

"We are Simons imagination hun." Cake purred from down Fionnas feet's. "When every-thing gets to difficult and lonely for him, he goes here."

"He must go here a lot." Marceline pointed out in a slight eye-roll. "He has an entire library full of stories about you guys."

"Well, often things _are _to difficult and lonely when you are trapped in your own mind, what do you want?" Cake asked.

"And when he is here, he is always looking for some-thing.. really desperately." Fionna told. "But he never told what it is, I don't even think he knows that, poor Simon." She sighed deeply. "Hottie Ice King." She then giggled in her hands.

"Hottie Ice king?" Marceline asked.

Cake shrugged. "We are what-ever Simon wants us to be, what do you want sister?" she asked.

"I'm not all that sure I like this." Marceline then admitted.

"Njaah, don't worry about it." Fionna shrugged. "Simon sure has his issues, but even down here, in his deepest fantasies, where every-thing can be what ever he wants it to be. There still are no hot naked chicks around worshipping his body. We are parked directly beside his deep loneliness, you just came from there. And when he finally does get here, all he wants is to hear me and Cake tell him about our adventures. For hours some-times, he really likes that, to follow our adventures, it makes him happy." She told, then she smiled warmly at Marceline. "Yo, you can check this out!" she exclaimed holding up two hands folded as if she was holding some-thing in it.

"What is it?" Marceline asked.

"Simons deepest most secret desire!" Fionna smiled. "So deep and secret that he doesn't even know what it is, I guess that's why he is so confused some-times."

"Oh I don't know, I don't think I even want to see that." Marceline swallowed.

"Aw come on, give it a look. It's harmless I promise!" Fionna grinned.

"Urhm.. okay.." Marceline hesitated, then slowly she stepped forward, and bowed over, squinting her eyes looking down the little hole in Fionnas hand, then Marceline blinked, down there was a tiny little living room, it looked so nice, in it was sitting a red-haired woman, all cosy and warm in a green sweater, chatting happily with… a miniature version of Marceline?.. it was! It was herself! And she looked so very happy, then the door of the living room opened and in stepped a tiny little figure of Simon, laughing as he stood there with a tray with cups of tea, which he handed to Marceline and Betty, only for Betty to kiss him on the cheek and Simon blushed bemused as he almost dropped the tray in all his awkwardness. "Wow.." Marceline blinked. "That's.. That's so normal." She swallowed looking up at Fionna.

"Some-times there are more people than just them, Finn and Jake can be there to playing on BMO, or princess Bubblegum! Or some-thing else entirely! But there's always people, you can be sure of that." Fionna told in a wide smile.

"There's nothing extraordinary about that at all is there?" Marceline asked. "So what about you? How do you fit in?" she asked.

Fionna laughed as she opened the hands apart and there was nothing there. "I think I remind him of his two favourite girls in the entire universe! He says those two girls are stronger than any guy he have ever met!"

Marceline blinked. "Who are his two favourite girls?" she asked.

"Now you're just silly." Fionna giggled.

"Ooh." Marceline realised. "Yeah I guess that was kind of stupid." She admitted. "I guess that's kind of flattering so erh, he comes here right? Can I see him?" Marceline asked. "Is he here?" she asked.

"Not right now, sorry." Cake shook her head. "Nothing will change as long as you stay here at one spot hun, you need to get to the centre!"

"Centre?" Marceline asked. "Oh yeah, the centre of the labyrinth, is it close?" she asked.

"You need to go that way!" Fionna pointed in the direction of the tree house right behind them. "The tree house is the centre of our own realm, Simons imagination. Because that's where Cake and I life! Go there!" she told.

"Okay thanks!" Marceline nodded and turned around, to float in the appointed direction.

"BYE! GOOD LUCK! IT WAS GREAT TO MEET YOU!" Fionna shouted as she waved after Marceline whom floated away.

"Well, I guess that deepest imagination could be way worse than this." Marceline had to admit as she floated up in the tree-house, then slowly reached for the door and opened it, only to suddenly be faced with.. a huge monster!

A monster like those from the apokolypse, green oose floating through its eye-balls and open wide mouth as it roared.

Marceline screamed, screamed her head off as she smacked the door closed in front of her, only to realise, the door itself was different! It was a big iron door now! And she was not out-side of any tree-house! She was in a dungoun! "What.. What the glob?" Marceline asked turning around. "What's this now?" she asked.

As she spoke, a pair of green glowing eyes opened in the darkness, looking at her, a pair of red glowings eyes next to it, then yellow and more and more.

"ARGGH!" Marceline screamed. "Who the glob are you supposed to be?!"

And the voices spoke, all the voices in a big unison. _"We are Simons regrets, we are the punishment he place upon himself, we are his shame of what he has become, his sorrow, his despair." _

"Well that's all kinds of messed up." Marceline hissed.

"Help us!" The voiced called. "Help uuusss… we are starviiiiing."

Marceline blinked and then looked around, as she realised.. big chunks of the wall were missing as if some-one, or some-thing, had bit right through it and.. _eaten_ it! "YOU'RE ARE EATING SIMON?!" she exclaimed. "Ew Gross!"

"MARCELINE!" The voices yelled. "MARCELINEEE! HELP US HEEELP!" they yelled as suddenly, long claw like hands, there was no meat on them at all, just skin stretched over the poor bones showing their poor starvation that would never be filled no matter how much they fed on Simon.

Marceline backed away as all the monsters advanced, each little a little different from the other, but they all looked kind of pathetic, then suddenly Marceline realised she was pressed up against the wall, and had no-where to run Screaming Marcline fumbled with her hands, searching for a way out, any way out from the advancing monsters that was now starting to turn green, green ooze starting to fall out of their eye-balls, just like with all the mutants from the apocolypse! Marceline squinted her eyes closed, then suddenly her hand grabbed some-thing. A DOOR HANDLE! Marceline was standing up against a door!

Quickly she grabbed the handle and opened the door, to fall backwards into a new room where she landed harshly on the floor, on the ice floor!

Wide-eyed Marceline looked up, she was back in the Ice tunnels! And the door, the door she had just fallen through, it was gone! In front of her there was nothing but a solid Ice wall!

"Oh there you are!"

Slowly Marceline turned her head, and was faced with her old pink Teddy bear.

"I was getting worried, don't stray away like that!" Hambo lectured.

"I'm sorry." Marceline blinked. "I lost sight of you for a moment there. I just saw… what was that?" she asked.

"You all-ready know that." Hambo pointed out. "This maze has many rooms, countless of them, each of them supposed to be a trap to catch any-one whom accidently stumbles in there. Come on, the centre is this way." He told waving Marceline with him.

"Hambo, you still haven't told me. What is it that's so important at the centre?" Marceline asked. "I don't think I was supposed to go this far in at all."

"Njah it's okay." Hambo told. "If you get to the centre, you can be send right back from there. There's a short cut there."

"Really?" Marceline asked.

"Uhu." Hambo nodded.

"Wow.." Marceline blinked as she looked around herself. "It's starting to get really dark in here."

"We are nearing the centre." Hambo told quietly.

"Oh that's good, feels like we been walking for-ever." Marceline sighed and then stopped.. now every-thing was dark, it was pitch black. "Huh?" Marceline asked. "What now?"

_"Got you now…" _a voice whispered, almost seductively.

Marcelines eyes widened. "SHIT!" she exclaimed. "Hambo, we gotta run.. we gotta." Marceline turned her head and discovered, Hambo was frozen to ice, deep inside of an icicle up against the wall. By Marcelines feet's, the ice was growing, reaching towards her.

"_What are you going to do now little girl, no one to show you the way!" _

"ARGH!" At ones Marceline turned and started to run, run as fast as she could. "THE CENTRE! HAMBO SAID IT WAS CLOSE!"

_"There is no centre, this labyrinth is endless!" _The voice exclaimed as the temperature grew even colder and the ice walls around Marceline grew thicker, thus the room itself smaller. "Oh Glob-glob-glob-glob!" she exclaimed as she ran, blind due to the vast darkness, the presence looming closer and closer as the tunnel got smaller and smaller, she took a turn, and then barely managed to stop! "ARGH!" as yet another, deep black bottomless pit was right in front of her. No floor, now ceiling, nothing to either left nor right!

"_NOW I HAVE YOU!" _the ice kings voice triumphed. "Trapped for-ever! Vampire Queen!"

Wide-eyed Marceline turned around so she stood with her back at the empty abyss, suddenly realising, the tunnel that had been behind her was closed! She was now standing on a tiny little platform attached to the icy wall, frightened Marceline looked up. What now?

Wait.. wait a minute.. she could float..

Marceline groaned, how could she have forgotten she could float? Just, fly out of here! Minds were a weird place to be!

With that in mind, Marceline stepped away from the plat-form, only to suddenly realise.. she couldn't float!

At least not in here! Because, now she was falling! Falling into darkness, into the for-ever abyss if the Ice Kings prison mind, that seemed to go on for-ever and ever, and Marceline could only scream, scream as the dark engulfed her and she could barely reach. "ARGGHHHH!"

* * *

"Urgh.." Marceline groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, around her, there was such a warm cosy glow, it all looked so warm and cosy. She was laying on some-thing soft, a blanket was tugged around her, looking up, Marceline saw a wooden ceiling she was… in a room?

It looked kind of like the room of one of those old wooden huts, but neat and clean, beside her was a book shelf filled with books.. though the light in here was very dim yet warm.

Marceline searched for the light source and discovered, just one single candle burning on a desk, small scribbling sounds sounded, and since there was nothing else there than the burning candle those sounds seemed rather loud.

Marceline blinked as she realised, there was a man sitting by the desk beside the candle, hunched over the desk, writing, he had his back to Marceline, but she could see his arm moving, and just glance at the paper he was writing on.

The man was wearing a brown suite jacket, his hair was dark brown and the skin tone of his hand olive coloured, then he stopped.. A frowning sound sounded as the hand reached up, and pulled off a pair of round purple glasses, which he proceeded to clean in his sleeve before he put them on again.

Those glasses were instantly recognisable! Marceline knew them at ones. "Simon?" she asked.

Blinking the man turned around and looked at her, a kind looking familiar face, black eyes looked just slightly surprised at her as he blinked. "Oh, you're awake." Then he smiled. "I'm so glad, now you can help me with this song I'm writing."

"Huh?" Marceline blinked sitting up. "What?"

"Try and give it a listen, it goes like this." Simon told turning all the way towards her in the chair, holding the piece of paper in his hand, slowly he nodded his head, making a rhythm with his mouth. "Du ba du ba, skadi da… Here I am sitting in my frozen wasteland. No one can reach me man. And I just question, when will I be home with you? My princess, please say you think of me to. My little girl, I wish I could be there. But I am trapped, I am right… here." Then he frowned. "Hmm, no I get what you're saying, it's not quite right is it?" he asked, putting his pencil in his mouth chewing thoughtfully. "In fact, it doesn't even make a lick of sense!" he chuckled amused.

"Oh." Marceline blinked. "No it was all-right."

"That's very kind of you to say, but I think there's a good reason why I'm not a lyricist." Simon chuckled amused as he grumbled the paper together in his and threw it over his shoulder, so suddenly it landed in a big pile of similar grumbled together papers Marceline hadn't even noticed before that suddenly was in the room. "I don't think I should sell me university degree just yet." He blinked. "That would be pretty! Me getting back together with the high school rock band! Wheeui!" he exclaimed, holding up his arms as if he was playing an invisible guitar. "Standing there on the scene! The Frostbites and the crowd goes!... Cricket sounds.. brr, brr, brr." He simulated the sound of cricket. "Add some icy wind and some grass blowing by wooosh." He moved his hand, then turned his head. "Guys, I don't know how to break this to you.. but I don't think this is going to work out. Well." He shrugged. "Back to the old dusty books for me!"

Marceline couldn't help it, Simons calm naturally warm joking attitude just had a way of putting her at ease and she smiled, and even chuckled amused.

And Simon smiled at her. "That's right, good to see you're feeling better."

"Oh I am good." Marceline told, then blinked as she looked around, in the small room. "Where.. Are we?" she asked.

"I don't know." Simon responded. "Honestly I don't even remember how or when I got here, and suddenly you were there to. Well, nice with some company." He smiled at her.

"What, really?" Marceline asked. "You have no idea how long you've been here?"

Simon shrugged. "Nope, no idea, things are kind of funny here. Things keeps changing, I don't even think that time works in the regular way. Nothing does really. Would you like some tea?"

"No I.." Marceline began, but suddenly realised, she was all-ready sitting by a tea table. She couldn't remember having seen one in the room, couln't remember having walked towards it or sat down in a chair, she was just sitting there, with a red straw-berry cake in front of her as Simon poured tea for both of them.

"How?" Marceline asked as she gaped. Then her eyes widened as she realised. "Oh god! I am inside your head!"

Simon blinked. "Pardon?"

"I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" Marceline exclaimed jumping up from the chair, knocking over her tea-cup in the process, then wide-eyed she looked in all directions before she finally saw the door, and she sprinted towards.

"Wait!" Simon exclaimed from his tea table, reaching out a hand. "I wouldn't do that!" he told.

Marceline though didn't listen, she just tore the door open and.. was met with a huge big snow-storm, the snow was whirling every-where right in her face, all she could see were white, white and more white. The sky was white, the ground was white, every-thing was white!

It was a massive, _massive _waste-land of ice and snow, and it threatened to blow Marceline over and destroy the room behind her. Frightened Marceline grabbed the door, and had to use all her powers, all her strength to pull it back, before at last she closed it. "Phew." Marceline exhaled leaning up against the door sinking down.

Then looked at Simon whom was now sitting in his chair by the writing desk, tea table and all on it had mysteriously vanished, the small pile of grumbled papers were gone, the bed Marceline had woken up in.. Gone.. The only furniture in the room was that chair Simon was sitting in, and the desk he was leaning up against as he just sat there, not moving one bit to help her, just looked at her.

"You're not really Simon are you?" Marceline asked.

Simon didn't answer, just looked at her.

Marceline rolled her eyes. "Well then, if you're not Simon, what are you then?" she asked.

"I don't know." This person looking and sounding like Simon told. "I've been trapped here for as long as I can remember. I can't recall any-thing else but this room, and that wasteland out there." He told pointing at the door. "The storm never settles, it's always like that, I'm trapped here. I can't get out."

"Oh." Marceline blinked, frowning as she rubbed her chin. "Wait.. None of this is real is it?" she asked. "I'm still inside of the Ice Kings mind so.. In one way or another, you're part of him? But.. Trapped out here in the wastelands… In the centre of the waste-lands actually, in the centre of.. Of the labyrinth." She blinked and the wide-eyed looked up.

"DING DING DING! YOU GOT IT!" Simon exclaimed in a happy voice as he sprung up from the chair pointing at Marceline with a finger as he blinked at her.

"Wait, you just said you don't remember who you are!" Marceline exclaimed.

"I also just told you that every-thing inside of this room changes all the time." Simon told in a warm teasing smile. "Why should I be any different than the table or the bed here? We all change, all the time." He smiled amused walking past a mirror, that wasn't there before.. except the mirror reflection behind him didn't mirror the Simon in front of Marceline, it was mirroring an old blue skinned man, though still with a thick set of hair and wearing the purple glasses, the mirror showed the Simon that Marceline had first met a thousand years ago, while the original human Simon was standing in front of it. "You just reminded me of what I am, so of course I end up remembering!" he grinned as if it was dead logic.

It wasn't.. not at all.

"And this is how _you _remember me, isn't it?" Simon asked in a broad smile as suddenly, he had become the pointy nosed blue skinned man with the glasses and ragged clothes, and the human Simon was the mirror reflection. Simon standing there in front of her, blue skinned, bearded, thick hair, crown hanging in a string against his thigh, he even had that heavy travel bag on his shoulder, it was exactly the way that Marceline remembered..

In that moment Marceline had a difficult time not to cry, it was all to much, she couldn't speak at the moment, so she nodded instead, hanging her head squinting her eyes together.

"Hey sweet-heart, don't cry. It's okay." Simon spoke as he bowed down in front of her, putting his hand beneath her chin, then slowly raised up her head so Marceline was facing his blue purple-ish head, and his kind warm eyes behind the purple glasses, the eyes themselves seeming to glow and smile at her, just to cheer her up.

It was all to much, way to much for Marceline as she sniffed again looking at him, tears silently rolling down her cheeks.

"You don't need to cry Marcy. You found me, or at least you found part of me. And that's good." Simon told in a warm smile, keeping her head lifted with his hand.

Marceline nodded and Simon gave her one last warm smile before he stood up, and then turned to the book-shelf by the wall, now turning more serious.

"Marcy, listen to me, I know why you are here." Simon told as he reached for a book in the shelf.

"You do?" Marceline asked.

"Yes, you wish to know what it is the Ice King found out, what is it, that is so dangerous that even he feared for his life." Simon questioned as he turned towards Marceline with the book in his hands. "This" he told reaching towards her. "This is the memory! Open it up and enter, afterwards you'll be given back to the real world."

"But." Marceline asked, without even looking at the book, just at Simons face. "What about you? Won't you be coming?" she asked.

"Sweet-heart, I would love to." Simon sighed deeply. "But I am trapped here." He told reaching for Marceline's cheek, gently rubbing it. "I can't get out the same way as you. Out-side that door, there is an eternal ice wasteland. There is no way for me to cross it without getting lost, just.. try to listen to the wind."

"What?" Marceline asked.

"Come on, concentrate real hard, listen to the wind out-side." Simon asked.

Marceline blinked then nodded as she closed her eyes and listen, listened to the harsh wind that was grabbing the wooden panels, blowing out-side, harshly, then suddenly she realised. "Voices?" she asked. "The wind is carrying.. voices?" she asked opening her eyes looking at Simon. "I can barely make them out!" she told.

"Of course you can't they are speaking to me." Simon told. "To me, those voices are extremely loud, it's like some-one yelling in my ear all the time. And I mean, _all _the time!"

"But.." Marceline blinked. "Who's voices are they?" she asked. "Yours?" she asked.

Simon shook his head. "It's the crown." He told. "It's the voices of the crown, I can't rest, I can't sleep, I can't even relax, to tell the truth just being in here, I am exhausted, so very tired." He yawned deeply, rubbing his eyes, and true enough, Simon looked terrible, absolutely terrible. "They shout of me all the time, from out there!" he pointed at the door. "I need help Marcy." He told holding her two hands. "I need some-one to help me cross that wasteland and past the voices, if I am ever to get out of here."

Marceline swallowed, then she sniffed as she stood up. "I'll get you that help Simon!" she stated. "I swear! I'll be back for you!" she told.

Amused Simon looked at her. "Well, I know you'll try." He told amused. "Betty is out there calling for me to isn't she?" he asked looking up in the ceiling.

Marceline swallowed. "Yeah." She told.

"Could you give my love to her?" Simon asked. "Oh! And you can remember this, yeah it's not always I can hear you but. That doesn't mean it's not worth trying." He told, as he reached up pulling the glasses of his noes. "Here, take these." He asked, laying the glasses in Marcelines hands that were all-ready holding the book.

"Your glasses?" Marceline asked.

"Or! My umidiable essence as I like to call them!" Simon grinned holding up a finger.

"But.. don't you need them?" Marceline asked.

"Marceline, they are not real! I am not real, I'm just a thought deep down in a subconscious." Simon amused pointed out as suddenly, he had turned back into his human form.

"But, what then would be the point of me taking the glasses? Wont they just be gone when I come back?" Marceline asked.

Simon shrugged. "You're going to the surface, maybe you can pull part of me with you."

"Really?" Marceline asked.

"I honestly don't know, maybe nothing will happen at all. But we might as well try right?" Simon asked. "I honestly hate you have to do all of that, I wish I could at least help."

"That's all-right Simon." Marceline smiled holding both book and glasses. "We'll manage, I promise."

And Simon smiled, warmly and amused as he stood in front of Marceline. "Now you got to hurry, your friends are worried about you. I don't want you to be trapped in here for-ever with me." He told in a warm smile, then he guided Marceline's hand, to open the book.

Suddenly a ray of light, shot out from the books pages.

Wide-eyed Marceline looked up, looked at Simon as she swallowed, tears falling from her eyes. "Simon.. this is to quick. There's so much I want to tell you. I.. I.."

Simon just smiled warmly at her as he stood there with hands on his back. "I know." He told.

And suddenly Marceline was gone, gone with the book in her hands, gone from the small hut, leaving Simon whom merely stood there, all alone, sighing deeply as he lowered his head.

_"So.."_ A voice whispered. _"You gave her some of your essence to pull out-side, you really think that is going to help you?"_

Simon shrugged. "I don't know, I guess I just have to wait and see. Maybe pulling some of my memories to the surface would help just a little bit."

_"Pff, not for long Simon! You know that! You'll just be pulled right back in here! Or freeze to death out in the cold, this sanctuary you made will be gone with you! Then there'll be nothing left of you!" The voice exclaimed. _

Simon though looked down at his stomach, which suddenly had become just a tad bit transparent. "I suppose, but what ever little help I can give still counts doesn't it?" he asked. "I can't leave Marcy and Betty out there to their own devices! I _need _to safe them! If don't at least make the afford, then what am I?"

_"Sure you do Simon, but you have to ask yourself one thing… who's going to safe you?" _

And Simon swallowed, though the lump was stuck in his throat. "Betty and Marceline." He sniffed. "They wont give up! They'll come for me!"

_"You're sure about that?" _

"YES!" Simon exclaimed. "You don't even know them! All you do is trying to take away my confidence! You'll say any-thing to make me break! Well it's not happening! I know those two girls! They wont stop! They wont ever stop!"

And the voice spoke, in a disappearing voice, almost like a whisper. _"Neither will I…"_


End file.
